Awning louvre fastener



Feb. 14, 1956 R. HARRISON ET AL 2,734,236

AWNING LOUVRE FASTENER Filed Sept. 28, 1951 a INVENTORS M,QWWW

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United States PatentO 4 AWNING LOUVRE FASTENER Roland Harrison, Pittsburgh, and Paul Kepple, Youngwood, Pa., assignors t Kool Vent Metal Awning Corporation of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 28, 1951, Serial No. 248,831

2 Claims. (Cl. 20-575) This invention relates to an awning construction. More particularly, the invention relates to the fastening devices of louvres at the sides of metal ventilated awnlllgS.

Metal ventilated awnings are being quite extensively used on all types of buildings. These awnings are commonly made of sheet aluminum, which is non-corrosive, and does not need to be constantly painted. The awnings are composed of many parts, the parts being fabricated at the factory, and then assembled at the factory or on a distant building. It is very desirable to avoid the use of fastening devices such as screws, bolts and rivets for holding the various parts together, and to eliminate the need for machinery or special tools at the assembly point.

Screws, bolts and rivets which show on the outside of the awning do not give a pleasing appearance. Also, these screws and rivets are generally made of different metal than the sheet metal material from which the awning is fabricated, so that the different metals appear to set up a corrosion or electrolysis action which causes rusting or disintegration of the parts.

Further, fastening devices which are formed in the sheet metal itself overcome the problem of corrosion. Such fastenings also improve the appearance of the awning, and what is more important, the fastenings facilitate and speed up the assembly of the parts of the awning when being put together.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide improved fastening devices for securing the louvres to the sides of the metal awning structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide fastening devices for attaching louvres to metal awning structures, which fastening devices are integral with the parts of the awning, and are either concealed or give a good appearance to the awning.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved fastening construction for louvres to the sides of an awning.

The various features of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a metal awning with the louvres attached thereto, in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the portion of the awning shown in Fig. 1, which shows the connection of the louvre with a rafter and a saw-tooth plate;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the saw-tooth side plate for holding the louvres in spaced relation for ventilation; and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line VI--VI of Fig. 1, showing the fastening of the louvre to the awning rafter and the saw-tooth side plate.

The metal awning illustrated in the drawing is the ventilated type of aluminum awning illustrated and de scribed in the patent to Houseman, Re. 20,975. This awning consists of a series of lower channels having upwardly-turned flanges, which are spaced apart and sup- 2,734,236 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 2 ported on bars with upper channels having downwardlyextending flanges extending across and covering the space between lower channels. This type of construction is well known in the awning art. In the present invention the lower channels 12a at each side of the awning are provided with an outer down turned flange 32 as hereinafter described. The upper channels span the space between lower channels 12. The upper and lower channels constitute the roof of the awning, and the channels are' generally spaced to allow ventilation around the flanges of the upper and lower channels. The side walls of the awning consist of louvres 14 which are attached to a rafter 16, which conforms to the contour of the roof and extends from the rafter down to a saw-tooth side plate 18 located at the lower portion of the awning. The saw-tooth side plate 18 positions the louvres at an angle for ventilation, is generally supported in a horizontal position, and extends from the lower end of the rafter 16 to the wall of the building to which the awning is to be attached. The louvres 14 are connected to the rafter 16, and the saw-tooth side plate 18.

The details of the connection of the louvre plates 14 with the rafter 16 and side plate 18 is shown more particularly in Fig. 4. Eyes 22 are formed in the rafter by cutting and pressing out an opening suificient to receive a hook 24 formed on the upper end of the louvre 14. The hook 24 passes upwardly through the eye 22 and preferably is rolled or bent back over the eye to form a locking flange 26. Eyes 28 are formed in the rear face of the louvre 14 to receive hooks 30 formed along the saw-tooth edge of the plate 18. When the louvres 14 are assembled, the books 24 and 30 are inserted in the eyes 22 and 28 respectively by an upward movement of the louvre to force the hooks through the eyes. Thereafter the ends of the hooks extending beyond the eyes may be rolled or bent back to lock the parts together. With the construction shown in the drawings, two hook and eye fastenings are used at the bottom and the top of each louvre for connection with the saw-tooth side plate and the rafter respectively.

When the lower channel 12a is placed on the roof, a downwardly-extending flange 32 thereon covers the fastening devices which are made between the upper end of the louvres and the rafter. As shown in the drawings, the fastening between each louvre and the saw-tooth side plates appears merely as two spots.

The hooks and eyes which form the fastening devices are made up of the aluminum metal, which constitutes the metal from which the awning is manufactured, so that there is no electrolysis or dissimilar metal reaction to cause corrosion. Furthermore, the particular construction of the eyes and hooks is such that strong fastening devices are formed. The hooks and eyes on the louvres are readily assembled by forcing the louvre upwardly to force the hooks through the eyes, each louvre being connected at its top and bottom with a single upward movement. Thereafter the free ends of the hooks may be bent over to lock the parts in position.

Although the preferred form of the awning is made of sheet aluminum, other types of sheet metal, such as tinned, galvanized, or coated sheet steel, may be used in making the awnings.

With the arrangement described above, the fastening devices are scarcely visible and are very strong to hold the awning parts together.

The preferred form of the invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a metal awning having an inclined rafter member extending along the width of the awning, an up wardly extending flange on the rafter member providing a bearing support for the awning louvers, a side plate member secured to the lower end of the rafter member and extending rearwardly therefrom for substantially the width'of the awning and outwardly extending louver spacing flanges formed on the side plate, the combination of a side wall louver member extending between andoverlappingly engaging the rafter member and side plate member flanges, outwardly extending eye members spaced along the rafter member flange, a depending hook member on each side plate flange, a hook member at the upper end of the louver member registering withthe adjacent rafter eye member, an eye. member extending inwardly of the louver intermediate the ends thereof registering with the adjacent side plate flange hook memher, at least one of said hook members having a portion thereof extending through its registering eye and offset relative thereto retaining the louver member in assembled 15 relation with the rafter and side plate members.

4 2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the louver spacing flanges of the side plate are in saw-toothed arrangement, the body of each louver is arranged in parallel alignment with its respective side plate flange and the upper end of each louver is offset inwardly and upwardly to lie against the rafter member flange;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Houseman Jan. 10, 1939 1,028,829 Reuterdahl June 4, 1912 1,508,259 Stafford Sept. 9, 1924 1,658,043 Eaglesfield Feb. 7, 1928 1,802,234 Caramella Apr. 21, 1931 2,542,919 Freeman Feb. 20, 1951 

